From Machine Shop to Studio
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In 2011, Nate moved back to his home town and happened upon a shop sale at 250 Freeman Street. He was buying scrap steel to build a furnace in his parent's garage. Nate found out that the building was for sale and later purchased the property. Click here to see how Decatur Glassblowing has grown and transformed over time.
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Meet our Team
Nathan Nardi
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Atlanta native, Nathan Nardi always found himself drawn to creative expression through making. He discovered his passion for glass blowing in 2001 while at Jacksonville University, where he ... Read More.
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Carli Nardi
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Carli began working for Nate in 2014 before graduating from Georgia State University with a BA in Studio Art. Her professional experience includes corporate marketing and event planning, allowing her to oversee the gallery and all scheduling aspects of the business. In her free time she enjoys coaching lacrosse and taking pottery classes.
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Lee Ritchie
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Lee grew up in a small town in northern Illinois. He began glassblowing over 45 years ago at Illinois State University under Joel Phillip Myers. Lee has owned and operated several small glass studios, including the first hot shop in Atlanta in the mid 70's.
Through the years, while raising a family, Lee’s interests branched out into teaching, including: Specialty teacher at Atlanta’s Waldorf School, leader in the Boy Scouts, and ultimately in the Atlanta area glass shops. Lee met Nate about 6 years ago and has been a part of Decatur Glassblowing from it’s beginning. |
John Cleage
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In 2008 John took a weekend class at Janke Studios in Atlanta. In the summers of 2009 and 2012 he studied at Pilchuck Glass School. After returning from Pilchuck, John moved to Tucson, Arizona and attended the Sonoran Glass School. In between his schooling he periodically took classes with Lee Ritchie and Tadashi Torii. John started working for Nate in February 2013 and now works as his main assistant at Decatur Glassblowing.
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Abigail Yeagley
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Upon completion of her BFA: Glass, Abigail lived for several years in Corning, NY where she worked for CMoG and volunteered at local glass studios. She recently relocated to Atlanta to work for Nate, who was her intro to glass instructor at Kent State University in 2007. Her work is inspired by nature, science fiction and the intersection of mechanics and biology. Abigail's extensive studio experience has translated well into the roles of gallery manager and instructor at Decatur Glassblowing.
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